A few moments later, after giving all of his Pokémon medicine and Pokéblocks, Shiro carefully thought things through.
Hunter A's target was the Unown, specifically Unown A and Unown G. As for old man Jan's side, the battle situation was still unclear, and Drakloak was most likely still tangled up with that Claydol.
The priority now was dealing with Claydol. After all, Hunter A might return to the grassy slope where the Unown were located, or he could flee directly toward Claydol's position.
Shiro waved at Gengar. "Quick, go find Drakloak!"
He stood up. His body still felt numb and uncomfortable, but he forced himself into a jog as he ran out of the cave and threw a Poké Ball.
"Coooorv!"
With a leap, he landed on Corviknight's back. The steel bird spread its dark wings and immediately soared into the sky.
Buzz!
At that moment, his communicator vibrated. Shiro casually answered the incoming call from Looker.
Looker's voice was filled with urgency. "Where are you right now? I'm seeing signs of large-scale battles involving high-level Pokémon near Lake Verity..."
"I'm near Lake Verity and currently safe. Hunter A just fought me and escaped. His current direction is unknown."
Shiro briefly explained what had happened and shared the possible routes Hunter A might take. "I predict Hunter A may return to the grassy slope where the Unown are located."
"Understood."
Looker did not ask many questions. He trusted Shiro's judgment.
High in the air, Shiro's thoughts drifted aimlessly after he hung up.
* * *
North of Lake Verity.
A powerfully built Charizard was flying toward the area from the east.
On its back, a red-haired young man took out a constantly vibrating communication device and answered it. The black cloak behind him fluttered violently in the wind.
"This is Lance. I'm about to arrive at Twinleaf Town. Where is the target?"
"Elite Lance, Hunter A recently fought Shiro. Current predictions suggest he'll flee toward the grassy slope north of Twinleaf Town. That's where his objective is located."
"I understand."
Lance responded briefly and ended the call before immediately giving an order. "Charizard! Let's go!"
Charizard adjusted its direction with a powerful flap of its wings and accelerated forward.
* * *
North of Twinleaf Town.
The sky above the grassy slope remained a sea of crimson.
The five Unown were still frozen in place. The psychic power leaking from them had formed a massive psychic glacier that hung overhead, creating an overwhelming pressure that made it difficult to breathe. Both humans and Pokémon beneath the psychic glacier felt a strange heaviness in their chests.
In the distance, a Weezing with two heads, one large and one small, drifted slowly through the air. On top of it, Alfred clutched the yellow psychic crystal while breathing heavily.
Using the crystal consumed not only its stored energy but also his own stamina. Looking at the crystal, whose energy had already been reduced by half, Alfred felt a pang of heartache. Still, he could only keep it in hand in case he needed it again.
"Mega Evolution... he actually had Mega Evolution..."
Just thinking about it made it difficult for him to suppress his emotions. How could a power that had long been monopolized by the great clans appear so casually in the hands of a Galarian?
Obtaining the corresponding Mega Stone by chance was one thing, but the Key Stone, a symbol of divine approval, had also appeared in the hands of a Galarian.
"Damn it..."
Alfred muttered under his breath, but there was no time to speculate about how Shiro had acquired the Keystone and Mega Stone.
The Unown before him were far more important.
Right now, there was no longer enough time to capture both Unown A and Unown G.
Alfred pulled out three palm-sized metal boxes from his backpack. As he opened them one by one, eerie deep-blue light emerged from inside.
The three Unown floating in the sky, Unown F, Unown P, and Unown Y, immediately began trembling. Their bodies were irresistibly drawn toward the three metal boxes.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The lids closed one after another.
Alfred tossed all three boxes into his backpack and shouted, "Weezing, move!"
With the three Unown removed, the psychic glacier in the sky began visibly melting away. Psychic energy once again started flowing freely.
Unown A and Unown G were about to awaken. Besides, there was no telling when that Galar Champion might catch up.
The mission had essentially failed already. Staying alive and minimizing losses came first now.
Weezing adjusted its position and flew eastward.
* * *
Moments later, a Charizard appeared on the horizon.
"Champion-level Weezing. And a man in a black cloak on its back..."
Lance observed carefully and quickly identified the target.
"That must be Hunter A."
There was no need for further discussion.
"Charizard, Fire Blast!"
Charizard opened its mouth and released a mass of orange-red flames. After briefly gathering power, it fired the attack straight ahead.
A giant cross-shaped inferno, nearly twice the size of Weezing, streaked across the sky. The surrounding air warped from the intense heat.
Alfred snorted dismissively. "Weezing, Fire Blast!"
The same move. Different Pokémon.
Both of Weezing's mouths moved simultaneously. A blazing inferno equal in size to Charizard's formed even faster before shooting forward as a cross-shaped flame.
BOOM!
The collision erupted into an explosion that sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
Lance narrowed his eyes and turned sideways, using his cloak to shield his face.
"Chaaar!"
Suddenly, Charizard beneath him let out a roar. Its claws elongated several times over through concentrated energy before swinging downward.
Dragon Claw!
Another smaller explosion rang out as Charizard's Dragon Claw successfully dispersed the remaining flames from Weezing's Fire Blast.
Lance's expression changed. The opposing Weezing had used the exact same move and actually overpowered Charizard's attack.
When he looked up again, Weezing had already closed the distance.
Standing atop it, Alfred spoke coldly, "Lance. If all you've brought is a peak Gym-level Charizard… then don't stand in my way."
At the same moment, both of Weezing's mouths spat streams of dark purple poison.
Double Gunk Shot!
Charizard couldn't dodge in time. Its wings fell into disarray as the attacks struck its chest and abdomen one after another.
The impact blasted it backward, and the skin where the poison landed immediately began corroding, turning black.
"Charizard!"
Caught completely off guard, Lance hurriedly recalled Charizard with a Poké Ball while still suspended in midair.
As his body entered freefall, he grabbed another Poké Ball and pressed the release button.
"Come out, Dragonite!"
The Poké Ball burst open, and the orange dragon emerged and caught him in midair as it flew out.
"Dragonite, use Dragon Pulse!"
Dragonite tore through the sky, leaving behind trails of orange afterimages. When it appeared again, a sphere of brilliant blue energy had already formed in its mouth, rushing toward Alfred in the blink of an eye.
**
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